Transients of water distribution and transport in PEFCs

I. S. Hussaini, C. Y. Wang

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

Response of PEM fuel cells to a step-change in load is investigated experimentally in this work. Voltage undershoot, a characteristic feature of such transient response, is shown to be due to transients of water distribution in membrane phase occurring at sub-second time scales. Use of humidified reactants as a means to control magnitude of voltage undershoot has been demonstrated. Constant stoichiometry operation under certain current-step conditions is found to result in reactant starvation, potentially leading to cell shut down. Further, response under step decrease in current density has been explored to determine existence of hysteresis. Under sufficiently humidified conditions, response under forward and reverse step changes are found to be symmetric, but under low RH conditions, voltage undershoot is found to be twice as large as the overshoot.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationECS Transactions - Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells 8
PublisherElectrochemical Society Inc.
Pages317-328
Number of pages12
Edition2 PART 1
ISBN (Print)9781566776486
DOIs
StatePublished - 2009
EventProton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells 8, PEMFC - 214th ECS Meeting - Honolulu, HI, United States
Duration: Oct 12 2008Oct 17 2008

Publication series

NameECS Transactions
Number2 PART 1
Volume16
ISSN (Print)1938-5862
ISSN (Electronic)1938-6737

Other

OtherProton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells 8, PEMFC - 214th ECS Meeting
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityHonolulu, HI
Period10/12/0810/17/08

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Engineering

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